Enrique Durand
B. S., Microbiology, M.S., Microbiology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Ph.D. Student in Molecular Microbiology
E-mail: enrique.durand@tufts.edu

The tyrosine phosphatase YopH is an essential virulence factor produced by pathogenic Yersinia species . YopH is translocated into eukaryotic cells by a type III secretion system that requires bacterial host cell contact. Its phosphatase activity causes disruption of focal complex structures and blockage of the phagocytic process. Several eukaryotic substrates have been identified for YopH; however, their relevance in the infection process has not been investigated thoroughly. Some of these substrates are present in a multi-protein complex formed by Fyb/SLAP/ADAP, SKAP-HOM and SLP76, and are implicated in integrin-mediated adhesion during T-cell signalling and macrophage movement. The goal of my thesis project is to investigate the role of YopH as a virulent factor, specifically in the disruption of T-cell signalling and macropahge motility and to determine the importance of its substrates for Yersinia colonization.